Maja Daruwala, head of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (and daughter of Sam Manekshaw to boot), attempts a brave defence of human rights bodies at a time when it has become fashionable to brand them and tarbrush them, in The Hindu:

“Human rights defenders don’t espouse, support or defend violence and certainly not terrorism. But they would like to fashion a more effective response to it. A State by its very definition is the embodiment of lawful behaviour. It demands legal behaviour from citizens and itself always acts only through law and as a sentinel of human rights. This is the fundamental difference between State action and the acts of terrorists.

“Terrorists by definition and intention act outside the law to terrorise. The State cannot do that. There can be no greater defender of human rights than the State, so it is hard to see it blame human rights defenders for its inability to provide society with reasonable levels of safety and security.

“What perhaps irks the authorities into seeing human rights defenders as one with the enemy is their constant insistence that the agencies of state act only in accordance with the law and do not take short cuts, nor indulge in illegal practices, nor use public prejudice and stereotypes to shape their response.”

A terrorist is a terrorist. a Terrorist cannot be tried same criminal-judicial system that is meant for crimes of different kind. That’s why United Nations asked all member states to enact stronger anti-terror law. In almost all countries, whether in Europe, or Islamic countries like Bangladesh, Malaysia- this is already implemented.

We all are for rights of people. But can anyone explain why the incident below took place?

In a city in South Bengal where CPIM has strongest in India saw its CPIM MLA Pradip Tah beaten black and blue by a mob some six months back- he even had to flee wearing underpants.

Administration took no action. Had other political parties like Congress, Trinamool, or BJP spporters were involved, CPIM literally would have buried them alive (yes, that’s how politics on the ground works).

In case you guessed it, yes- administration did not take any action against the mob because it was a Muslim locality. If CPIM admin took action, Cong/Trinamool would have jumped the gun of “minorities are under attack”.

Nobody is saying, ALL Muslims are lumpens, or terrorists. But facts are: (1) criminal, lumpens hide behind their religion whenever in focus, (2) they have some solid support in Muslim community, (3) end result is: politicians go all the way to protect them.

When you take up something as seemingly non-ideological as basic human rights (ignoring second and third generation rights for the moment), it is damning if you protest loudly at one violation, and keep quiet at the other because the political/ideological affiliations of the latter are not aligned to yours.

Either you come out and say that your protection of human rights is based on an ideological definition of a human right, or you stand by human rights of all, irrespective of human rights.

This has been the crippling weakness of an otherwise strong human rights movement in India.

All Bengalis are not lumpens or anti-progress. But the facts are: (1) Criminal, lumpens hide behind their own culture whenever in focus (2) they have some solid support in Bengali community (3) end result is: politicians go all the way to protect them.